Sunday Loot: Paving the Way for Good Causes in Games

Happy Sunday, friends! This particular post will be a little more serious than past loot hauls, but it’s our hope that you come away with a broader sense of all the incredible efforts happening to both benefit and diversify the gaming industry. Many of our fellow geeks are working so hard to shed much-needed light on what it means to be a gamer (and no, we don’t just mean the debate over consoles).

When you’re part of a community populated with such a high membership across huge distances, it can sometimes feel like you’re alone in the crowd. Here at FemHype, we want to call your attention to the people and projects working to unite all of us in a shared effort. Today in particular, we’ll be highlighting fundraisers for charity, work that promotes diverse developers, and efforts that further the conversation about diversity as a whole. There are so many ways you can get involved in the community right now. Will you join us?

As always, if you know of an inclusive gaming space or games project you’d love to see promoted on our Sunday Loot series, drop us a comment below or check out our contact list! We’d love to hear from you, especially about new and exciting spaces where all gamers can hang out. ✌

Cosplay for Cancer

This project began as a small scale idea that has since blossomed into a full-fledged effort by a fellow geek to donate to cancer research. Siobhan is leading the exceedingly noble charge here, combining her love of costuming with a truly wonderful cause. The idea was inspired by her husband who passed away last year after his own battle with cancer. They were enthusiastic cosplayers and costumers, and in keeping that feeling alive, Siobhan is will be cutting her hair and cosplaying as Furiosa. All money raised will go to the Irish Cancer Society.

As of today, Siobhan has already raised 1,904.16 euro in only four days! She reached her milestone of 500 euro very early on, which means she will definitely be donating her hair. You can read more about Siobhan’s truly touching story on her blog. If you’re able, please consider donating!

Our deepest condolences go out to Siobhan and the family and friends of her husband.

Extra Life

You’ve probably heard of Kelly M. She’s the indomitable leader of The Archaeology of Tomb Raider, one of our absolute favorite communities dedicated to a franchise that introduced many of us to games in the first place. She’s currently hosting another charity stream to benefit Extra Life this year and needs our help! This is Kelly M’s second fundraiser with Extra Life, which you can read more regarding the details on her profile page:

Following the success of last year’s fundraiser, I’ve decided to sign up for Extra Life again this year and raise even more money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals this time around. And, like last time, I’m going to need *your* help and support to hit my fundraising target of $500.

Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight

Inspired by #HHMJam (which we covered in a past Sunday Loot post) and in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, @avashly is currently showcasing the work of Latinos in game development. For more on how this incredible initiative came to be, give the Storify a read. It already features the work of 30+ developers and every Hispanic country in Latin America is mentioned at least once. This makes for a truly wonderful resource for anyone looking to celebrate diversity in games. Not to mention the fact that this list isn’t even close to being done!

The project will take place mainly on their Tumblr page, but we’ve included their other social media as well. Always, always boost the work of marginalized folks in the gaming industry, and we’ll cultivate a more inclusive, friendly community in the long run.

#LevelUpDiversity

Hosted by Pytyvo Gaming, which is run by @gabriela_aveiro, the #LevelUpDiversity hashtag will be a social media campaign to encourage meaningful discussion regarding diversity in games. There are many different ways you can get involved in this project, so I’ll let you peruse the details as you like!

Share your favourite game-related work by or featuring diverse people to the Twitter #LevelUpDiversity hashtag between Oct. 22—Oct. 28. This includes fanart and other fanmade work!

If you yourself are of a marginalized ethnic identity, they encourage you to share your own work and experiences to the Twitter #LevelUpDiversity hashtag between Oct. 22—Oct. 28.

We’re super excited to see what kinds of ideas and experiences crop up during this time. Let all your friends know this is happening so that we can invite as many gamers into this conversation as possible!

We Are Fine, We’ll Be Fine

One of the featured games at IndieCade’s Gaming For Everyone Pavilion this year, you’ll be able to try the demo on October 25th between 3 PM to 4 PM. We Are Fine, We’ll Be Fine is described as an “auditory and tactile experience played on a wooden game board” where you’re able to explore stories of marginalization and oppression with hope for the future. You hold hands with other participants while progressing toward the center of the board, which lends to a more grounding, intimate sense of play.

If you’re more of the visual type, we’d recommend that you check out their trailer! And, of course, if you’ll be at IndieCade this year, stop by to give We Are Fine, We’ll Be Fine a try on your way from our booth. We’d love to hear your thoughts and impressions of this game!